


spinning silk threads

by seothsayers



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bugs & Insects, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Spiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25443520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seothsayers/pseuds/seothsayers
Summary: After an unfortunate moth related incident, Jaehyun is on the hunt for a new cloak. Sicheng is the tailor for the job.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun
Comments: 15
Kudos: 68





	spinning silk threads

**Author's Note:**

> woke up at 7am with a sudden thought of bugboy jaehyun and had to write this. one day i will hopefully get around to writing the other ideas i have for this world. some of the lore of this world is pilfered from d&d 5e, so if you spot anything familiar that's where it is from. also don't question my gold coin worth i am physically incapable of understand fantasy economics
> 
> **content warning!!!!** there are a lot of bugs in this fic, including cockroaches and a tarantula, so heads up if you feel a bit icky about that kind of thing.

It is easy for Jaehyun to spot the exact moment people register what he is. They smile when they first see him – he has a handsome face, he dresses well, is always polite – but their expression sours as soon as they notice the flies buzzing around his head and the small army of cockroaches that trail behind him.

Jaehyun didn’t choose his affinity. Even after years of being used to the isolation it brings him, there are days when he wishes he would wake up and specialised in something else. No-one scowled at you when you controlled the wind.

It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. He lives away from the city, out in the forest in the middle of a swamp so that he and his critters can live in peace. He rarely ventures into town, only for essentials, and when he does people constantly stare and whisper. They talk about him, spread rumours about what he can do, exaggerate the truth. It pushes him further away, so he goes back to his cottage in the swamp and it all starts again the next time he needs supplies.

“Don’t listen to them,” Taeil says one day when Jaehyun’s frustrated. Taeil’s bathing in the mud, only his moonstone eyes and the tips of his horns are visible above the mud. “People fear what they don’t understand.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you don’t have to deal with them.” Jaehyun retorts. Perks of being an immortal beast who only needs to feed like, once a century. Jaehyun closes his eyes and prays to the deities that he can be reborn as a dragon in his next life.

“There was a time when I lived amongst people too, you know.” Taeil reminds him. “There’s also a reason I decided to retreat to a corner of the world only the most desperate would traverse to find me.”

“I feel like you just proved my point.” Jaehyun says.

“They’re not all that bad.” Taeil says, sighing at Jaehyun. He rises from the mud and shakes his wings like a giant dog. Jaehyun lifts a hand and casts a quick shield to protect himself from the spray. “You just have to be patient. The good ones will find you eventually.”

Taeil’s right – of course he is – and so Jaehyun pushes all the irritation to the back of his mind. There is nothing he can do to change people’s minds. They will always be afraid; he will always be tired of it all.

🕸 🕸 🕸

Jaehyun’s in a bad mood.

He had opened his wardrobe this morning to discover the moths had finally broken through his flimsy protective wards and completely devoured his favourite cloak and about half a dozen other shirts. Jaehyun shouts at them and banishes them from the cottage, looking mournfully at his pitiful collection of clothes.

He adds it to his list: food, spell components, songs for Taeil, new clothes for him.

“Think positive,” He mutters to himself. “It’s spring. Time for a clear out. You needed new shirts anyway.”

Pepper the tarantula crawls out of her hide out and watches as he walks by. They insects have always been sensitive to his moods – he can still feel the moths fluttering around outside, sense their guilt, and the cockroaches have been unusually quiet, watching from the corner as he moves around. There is an underlying wave of concern in the room.

“I’m fine everyone, really.” He tells them all. “It’s all fixable. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Pepper taps at the side of her tank. She’s giving the best puppy-eyed look she can for a tarantula and Jaehyun is weak.

“You hate people.” He reminds her, but she keeps pleading so he gives in with a sigh. He opens the tank and sets her down on the brim of his hat. He turns back to the rest of the critters: his cockroaches, the locusts, and ladybirds. They are all watching him. To anyone else, it would be unnerving to have thousands of tiny eyes on you at once, but to Jaehyun it was comforting. Thousands of tiny friends watching his back. “I’ll be home soon. Behave while I’m gone, or you’ll be outside with the moths for the night.”

Jaehyun moves around the market relatively quickly. People give him his space; the sellers smile with false sincerity and he gives just as good as he gets. Pepper is radiating with annoyance at all the stares she is getting. “I told you,” Jaehyun says.

He gets everything he needs – ingredients to bake fresh bread, incense for his spells and a pretty ballad in a bottle for Taeil. “Right. Clothes.”

Jaehyun scours the market until he comes across what he is looking for. There is a busy stall full of fabrics, shirts hanging along a wooden rail. Jaehyun goes over to investigate. They are of a high quality, some cotton, others silk. Jaehyun goes a little overboard, picking some of the cotton ones for everyday wear and then a few of the silk ones simply because they were pretty. There are cloaks on display, but Jaehyun knows he needs something more than just a plain cloak. He supposes he could just take one and get it enchanted elsewhere, but that would require finding someone willing to take on the task.

“Can I help you?”

Jaehyun jumps slightly as a young man appears behind him with a small smile.

“I would like to purchase these shirts,” Jaehyun says, and the man nods. “I was wondering about your cloaks too.”

“Everything I have out here is standard.” The man says. “I can create something else if you are looking for something specific. I don’t keep my magic goods out on display. Too much risk of them being stolen.”

Jaehyun hands over the shirts and watches as the man starts to bag them for him. “I would need something swamp resistant – water, mud.” Jaehyun says. “Also moth proof, if you can do that.”

The man raises an eyebrow and its at that moment that he seems to spot Pepper from where she is perched on Jaehyun’s hat. Jaehyun waits for it, the switch in attitude. He waits and it never comes.

“I can do that for you. Is there something here you like or were you looking for another kind of fabric, something thicker? I can alter it so that it changes to match the temperature of the climate you are in. It will keep you cool in the swamp and warm when you’re in the city.” He says. “That’s 30 gold for the shirts.”

“That sounds good.” Jaehyun says warily, handing over the coins.

“So, thick material, swamp and moth resistant…” The man says. “Anything else? I can add the standard enchantments for you too if you would like.”

Jaehyun nods.

“I’ll have to get you measured up.” The man said. “After that it’ll take about two weeks to sort out the enchantments. Is that ok?”

“It’s perfect.” Jaehyun says. “How much?”

The man scratches his head. “I’d estimate around 500 gold.”

“Do you want the payment upfront?” Jaehyun asks, reaching into his coin purse.

“Oh, gods no, carrying around that much money at once is a death wish.” The man laughs. “Like I said, I’ll need to measure you up. Are you available to come to my shop sometime this week? I can get that sorted and take half the payment then, the rest on completion.”

Jaehyun nods. “I can do that.”

The man smiles, a genuine bright smile. “Great. Here’s the address.” He hands Jaehyun a business card. _Dong Sicheng’s Tailoring_ , it reads, _enchanted to all your magical needs!_ “Come by in the afternoon. I’ll be at the market in the morning.”

“Ok, I’ll see you then Sicheng.” Jaehyun waves. He can feel Pepper doing the same on his hat.

Sicheng blinks as Jaehyun says his name. “Wait – what should I call you?”

“I’m Jaehyun.” He says.

“Jaehyun.” Sicheng repeats. “It was nice to meet you, Jaehyun. I’ll see you soon.”

When he gets back to the cottage, he sets Pepper back down in her tank and gently pets her once. “Thanks for coming with me today.”

He goes about putting everything away, ignoring the way the other bugs flock to Pepper’s tank. Even his mantis, Lilith is interested. “I can hear you all gossiping!” He calls, but they all ignore him. Typical. Rhythmic clicking and hissing fills the cottage.

When Pepper is finished recalling the day, he’s flooded with attention. _A man?_ They ask. _A kind man? No disgust, no refusal?_ They are all excited. It’s cute.

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” Jaehyun says. “I’m meeting him again to get fitted for my cloak soon. Today might have been a fluke. It’s happened in the past.”

_Have hope!_ They chant. _Hope, hope, hope!_

🕸 🕸 🕸

Jaehyun decides to forego his bugs the best he can when he visits Sicheng’s shop. It feels rude, to walk into someone’s place of work and just fill the space with cockroaches when you have only ever met them once. He can’t escape them completely, of course. A few sneak into his pockets, others into his satchel. He can hear them whispering, trying to keep quiet, so he pretends not to notice them.

Sicheng’s shop is tucked away in a corner of the city, amongst a bookshop and a florists. When Jaehyun steps inside, a bell above the door rings and someone peers into the room with wide eyes.

“Sicheng!” The person steps out from behind the backdoor. He looks young, younger than Jaehyun, probably still a teenager. He smiles brightly at Jaehyun. “Are you the one who wants the cloak?”

“That’s me.” Jaehyun says.

“I’m Chenle.” He introduces himself. “Sicheng’s assistant. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Jaehyun asks, amused.

“What he means is that he spends all of his time pestering me instead of learning.” Sicheng says, appearing in the doorway behind Chenle. He looks at Chenle with a mix of exasperation and fondness. “Like now. Don’t you have an assignment to be finishing?”

Chenle pulls a face. “Fine, I’ll go.” He turns to look at Jaehyun again. “You’ve come to the right place for a cloak though. Best enchanter this side of the city. You won’t regret it!” And then he is gone.

Sicheng laughs, embarrassed. “Please, ignore him.”

Jaehyun smiles. “You should bring him to the market with you, promote your stall. I’m sure he’ll bring in a crowd.”

“Maybe one day.” Sicheng says. He holds open the backdoor. “Do you want to come through? I’m ready to get started.”

Sicheng instructs Jaehyun to remove his thin cloak – a poor substitute for his old one – and step up onto the podium in the centre of the room. Sicheng hums as he works, measuring Jaehyun’s arms, legs, and shoulders. Jaehyun’s a little nervous. The bugs in his pockets physically cannot sit still and so its clear there is something in there from the way his pocket writhes around. There is also the smell. Jaehyun doesn’t smell _bad_ , but he definitely smells unique. Like the outdoors, fresh soil and petrichor. It’s strong and can take a bit of getting used to.

Sicheng doesn’t seem to mind. He ignores the wriggling in Jaehyun’s pockets, the muted hissing, and instead makes conversation. “Have you given any thought to design?” Sicheng asks, noting down the measurements. “I forgot to ask last time.”

“I was honestly just going to go for plain.” Jaehyun says. “It’s more for functional than fashion purposes, you know?”

“Doesn’t mean that it can’t be both.” Sicheng says.

“Well then, what do you suggest?” Jaehyun asks.

Sicheng taps his quill against his lips. “If you want something super simple, then just a pattern around the hood and sleeves is good. Or, if you’re into something fancier, I can do that. Gold, gemstones, you name it. I’ve had some odd requests over the years.”

Jaehyun frowns. “Something simple, I think. Around the hem, like you said.”

“Actually, I have an idea.” Sicheng says. “Do you mind if I run with it?”

“Is it a surprise?” Jaehyun asks.

“I can tell you if you really want to know.” Sicheng says.

Jaehyun shakes his head. “I’ll wait.”

“This is going to be good.” Sicheng is off elsewhere, eyes unfocused.

“How much extra for the design?” Jaehyun asks.

Sicheng bites at his lip. “I know you said simple, but what I have in mind will probably bring it up to about 750 and extend this whole process by about a week. I promise it’s simple!”

“I trust you.” Jaehyun laughs. “I only brought 250 gold with me though.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Just bring the rest when I’m done.” Sicheng says. “Speaking of… is there anyway for me to contact you? Just in case I run into any problems or anything – not that its common to.”

“I live in the middle of a swamp so unless you want to send someone trekking out there to pass along a message then no.” Jaehyun says. “I can just stop by. I come into town semiregularly anyway.”

Sicheng nods. “Ok. Give me a week and I will have made some progress and you can stop by then. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank _you_ for taking on my request.” Jaehyun says.

Sicheng frowns. “Do you get denied things often?”

“Projects on a scale like this?” Jaehyun asks. “Yes. People don’t want to spend any more time in my presence than they have to.”

“Well you’re always welcome to stop by here.” Sicheng tells him.

“Thank you.” Jaehyun says. “That means a lot.”

The bugs chatter to him all the way home. _Welcome! You are welcome!_

🕸 🕸 🕸

Jaehyun is nervous.

In the week leading up to seeing Sicheng again, he is restless. He makes silly concoctions to pass the time, bakes a shit ton of bread, and spends a lot of time pestering Taeil.

“I understand why you are anxious.” Taeil says, wrapping his tail around Jaehyun and hugging him tight. “But remember, there are some good people left in this world. Not everyone will turn their back on you.”

“I know.” Jaehyun says.

It feels silly. He has only met Sicheng twice, and for all Jaehyun knew, he could just be perfectly polite with every customer he crosses paths with. Jaehyun’s not special, probably.

Yet Jaehyun can’t let this go. If Sicheng is genuine, then he is the first person to be so in what feels like forever. Even Chenle was nice, and there was no way Sicheng hadn’t told the kid that he was making a cloak for the infamous swamp witch with an army of insects.

“You’re overthinking.” Taeil tells him. “All you have to do is talk to him. Tell him you would like to see him again when he is finished with your cloak. Go get tea, or whatever it is people do nowadays. I wouldn’t know.”

“This is impossible.” Jaehyun whines and Taeil jabs him in the side with his tail.

“No, _you_ are impossible.” Taeil says. “You cannot let this opportunity pass by, Jaehyun. A friend is a friend and you need as many of them as you can get in this world.”

Chenle is at the front desk when Jaehyun arrives at the shop. He looks up and waves. “Jaehyun, right?”

Jaehyun nods. “It’s nice to see you again, Chenle.”

Chenle looks elated that Jaehyun remembered his name. “I’ll go grab Sicheng.”

He rushes out through the backdoor and Jaehyun takes the time to properly look around the shop. He seems familiar pieces, ones that Sicheng had brought to the market. There are some low-level enchanted items secured to the wall in glass cases: gloves with grip to help when climbing, hats that could disguise you in an instant. It is fascinating to him that Sicheng uses his magic in this way – there are so many different affinities and they are all so varied.

“Jaehyun.”

At his name, Jaehyun spins to see Sicheng by the door. “Come on through.”

They go to a different room than before, this time upstairs. “This is my workshop.” Sicheng says. “Sorry about the mess.”

There is fabric everywhere, bottles of glittering dust lining the shelves on the wall. It is a busy space, lived in. Sicheng brings Jaehyun over to a mannequin. “I have to admit, it probably looks pretty plain right now. I’m saving the design for last and that’s the most obviously interesting part.” Sicheng says. “Do you want to try it on for size? We can test out the enchantments too if you would like.”

Jaehyun slips on the cloak and lets Sicheng adjust what he needs to. “Are you wearing one of my shirts?” He asks with a pin in his mouth, fixing a sleeve.

Jaehyun looks down. He is – one of the silk ones that he had picked up. “Yes.” Jaehyun answers. “I don’t leave the house that often, so I felt like dressing up a bit today.”

Sicheng laughs. “Well I appreciate you dressing up for me.” He says and Jaehyun’s brain short circuits.

They run through the enchantments. Sicheng upends a cup of water on Jaehyun’s sleeve and it glides straight off, he gets Chenle to blow a gust of wind in their direction, sending papers flying everywhere and yet Jaehyun can barely feel it.

“Happy?” Sicheng asks, taking the cloak off Jaehyun.

“Very.” Jaehyun tells him. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.” Sicheng says. “Oh! You have a friend – on your ear.”

Jaehyun frowns and holds up his hand. A colourful caterpillar wriggles onto his hand and he sighs. “I thought I told you to stay put.” He says. The caterpillar laughs.

“Does it have a name?” Sicheng asks, watching curiously.

Jaehyun shakes his head. “Most of them don’t. Only the ones that stick around – like my tarantula, Pepper. This one will transform into a butterfly and stay in the swamp, but probably won’t live in the house like some of the others.”

“You’re telling me you have names for every individual cockroach?” Sicheng asks. “That’s impressive.”

“Oh, gods no,” Jaehyun says. “I would wither of old age before I could name them all. They are just a collective. A collective nuisance.” There is a murmur of protest from his trouser pocket and Sicheng laughs.

Jaehyun bites the bullet and asks. “Does it not make you uncomfortable?”

“No?” Sicheng says. “I’ve never had a problem with insects. I can see why being approached by someone surrounded by them might be intimidating, but that wasn’t my first impression of you. It was just you and your tarantula and I’m pretty sure Pepper _waved_ at me so.”

Jaehyun watches as the caterpillar crawls up his shirt and settles on his shoulder. “People don’t bother looking past the bugs.”

“People are also ignorant and unwilling to change.” Sicheng says. “You should bring Pepper back next time you visit.”

“Are you sure?” Jaehyun asks. People can normally deal with the flies and other creepy crawlies but the tarantula? That was a whole other level.

“I am really intrigued, if I’m honest.” Sicheng tells him. “I’ll have to tell Chenle to stay out of the way that day.”

“Not a spider fan?” Jaehyun asks.

Sicheng shakes his head. “Sorry.”

“I’m used to it.” Jaehyun responds. “Pepper is too. Next week then?”

Sicheng smiles. “See you then.”

🕸 🕸 🕸

Chenle covers his eyes as soon as Jaehyun steps through the door. “Sorry.”

Jaehyun laughs. “It’s fine.”

“He’s upstairs.” Chenle says, eyes still covered. “You know where to go, right?”

“Yeah, thank you Chenle.”

Sicheng is working away, so Jaehyun knocks at the door to get his attention.

“Oh, hello!” Sicheng says. “Sorry, I got caught up in working, I lost track of time.”

“Lots of commissions?” Jaehyun asks.

Sicheng hums. “Another cloak for a lady who wants to be able to sink into the shadows, some really springy boots. Did you bring Pepper?”

Jaehyun lifts a hand to his hat and waits for Pepper so climb into his palm before he lowers it. “Is there somewhere I can set her down?”

Sicheng clears space on his desk and Jaehyun puts Pepper down. She explores, before stopping in front of Sicheng.

“She wants you to hold her.” Jaehyun says. “If you want to, that is.”

“Yeah, I’m fine with that.” Sicheng says. “I thought you weren’t supposed to hold tarantulas. Or at least that they didn’t like being handled.”

“Pepper’s one of a kind.” Jaehyun explains. “Infused with more magic than your regular arachnid. You’re right, most spiders shouldn’t really be picked up the way I do with her, but she likes the attention.”

Sicheng lays his hand flat on the desk and Pepper crawls slowly onto it. “It tickles.” Sicheng laughs. “If Chenle were here right now, he’d be screaming.”

“Spiders aren’t for everyone.”

Sicheng lifts his hand to his face so that he is eye level with Pepper’s eight eyes. “She’s cute.”

Pepper preens and Jaehyun sighs. “You’re going to make her ego even bigger than it already is.”

🕸 🕸 🕸

The whole gang accompanies Jaehyun to collect his cloak. He couldn’t have stopped them if he had tried. Pepper and Lilith sit happily on his hat whilst the cockroaches scuttle along beside him. There are even a few butterflies. People steer clear of him and his insect parade whilst he moves through the streets.

When Jaehyun reaches the shop, he peers through the door. “Chenle?”

Chenle hums. He has his feet up on the counter and is focused on his book. “Hi Jaehyun.”

“Yeah… you might want to go into another room?” Jaehyun suggests. “Pepper’s here. She insisted.”

Chenle looks over at him and narrows his eyes. They widen when they realise just how many critters Jaehyun is surrounded by, and he drops his book on the desk. “This is so cool.”

“Can I come in?” Jaehyun asks.

“Of course, come on.” Chenle ushers him in. “He’s in the back room.”

Jaehyun heads into the room he had been in the first time he had visited the shop. Sicheng is waiting, a cloth covering the mannequin that Jaehyun knew hid his cloak. “Full crowd today?” Sicheng says, taking in all the extra visitors.

“Yeah, sorry.” Jaehyun sets down his hat on a table. “You are talk of the town amongst them. They all wanted to meet you.”

“Oh?” Sicheng looks pleased. “Do you want to see your cloak?”

Jaehyun nods. Sicheng dramatically pulls the cloth off the mannequin. The cloak has a slight shimmer to it – under the light it seems to shift between a deep, dark blue and black. There’s something else too, and Jaehyun steps closer to see that sewn along the hem of the hood, the sleeves and the bottom of the cloak are dozens of different insects – a tarantula, a mantis, ladybirds, bees, butterflies and more. They seem to glisten in the light too.

“I ethically sourced some silkworm thread. When I told them what I wanted it for, they infused it with protection and luck charms.” Sicheng explains. “It was really nice to work with actually. I’ll definitely have to do it again.”

“This is amazing,” Jaehyun says. “Really, it’s stunning, Sicheng.”

“Do you want to try it on?” Sicheng asks and Jaehyun nods, pulling off his old cloak.

It fits perfectly. Sicheng brings him over to the mirror in the corner of the room and Jaehyun twists back and forward as he watches the way the cloak shifts in the light, the little bugs glimmering. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“What does everyone else think?” Sicheng asks, glancing over at the table.

Jaehyun feels hundreds of emotions hit him at once. Happiness, pride, tearful joy. “They love it too.”

“I’m glad.” Sicheng says.

Jaehyun rifles through his satchel until he pulls out a bag of gold. “There is 1500 gold in there.” He says. “That should cover the cost for the silkworm thread too because I know that’s not cheap.”

“I can’t take that!” Sicheng says.

“If you won’t, I’ll just give it to Chenle.” Jaehyun says. “You’ve crafted me something beautiful, something I’m going to treasure for a long time. The least I can do is make sure I pay you back what it is worth and more.”

Sicheng slowly reaches out and takes the bag from him. “Thank you.”

Jaehyun sets his hat back on his head. He is overwhelmed with a wave of sadness and he can’t tell if its him or bugs.

“So, I guess this is it.” Sicheng frowns.

Pepper taps insistently at the brim of his hat. Jaehyun supposes it is a bit weird to draw your strength from a magical tarantula, but Pepper has more courage than he does. Jaehyun straightens up and takes a deep breath. “Would you like to come by for dinner sometime?” He asks. “This isn’t everyone and they are all quite adamant that they want to meet you.”

“I would love that.” Sicheng says. “When is good for you?”

Jaehyun shrugs. “Right now? If you’re not busy.”

Sicheng laughs. “I can be free. Let me just grab my things.”

🕸 🕸 🕸

(They kiss for the first time with an audience. It's inevitable really, Jaehyun is never truly alone. Sicheng kindly ignores the fact that despite the fact they had left the cottage and were sitting by the pond out back that all the critters were watching them from the windows. 

Jaehyun is lost in Sicheng, the taste of his lips, the feeling of his hands tugging at Jaehyun's shirt but then it suddenly ends. Sicheng pulls back and looks at him, failing to hold back laughter. 

"There is a snail trying to climb onto my ankle right now." He says and Jaehyun puts his head in his hands.)


End file.
